Baseball Drama

I'm trying to decide if drama just follows me where ever I go or if I somehow unconsciously cause all this drama in my life. Either way, here's the latest installment...

Tuesday afternoon I had a phone message from a couple I know from school and baseball. Turns out the husband part of this couple is going to be coaching baseball this year and they're having a last-minute practice Tuesday night. They'd like to know if S3 is going to make it.

I started thinking about this couple and their children and I became very confused. See, they have three sons. One child is a good year or two younger than S3. Their next son is Ty's age and the youngest is somewhere around G's age. I thought S3 had just barely made the age limit for the older group - the "junior" team - so I couldn't figure out how the oldest son of this couple could possibly be on the same team as S3. I assumed they actually had Ty on their roster and just misspoke for the message. I prepared both boys for practice just in case.

Once there I quickly found out that they did indeed mean S3. Instead of putting him on the "junior" team, they'd put him down a level on the "A" team. I spoke to the head of the summer baseball and he said it was because of S3's birthdate. The cutoff is May. His birthday is June. So they bumped him down.

Here's why this is ridiculous:
1. Every single one of the boys on the "junior" team are classmates of S3. All the boys on the "A" team are at least one to two years (and grades) younger. So all his classmates bumped up but he did not.
2. It's ONE month people, not a year, not even a half a year. ONE month.
3. S3 is one of the best players in their league. If they're going to bump someone down, bump down a worse player, not one of your best.

Frankly I think the guy who is in charge of the league saw that the "A" team would only have 10 players if he didn't keep S3 down. You need nine on a field so that only gives them one substitute. If more than one kid is unable to make a game, they'd have to forfeit (ok technically I think they can play one man down but you get the idea). I think that guy is using this as a way to fill the roster. Steve says I always want to think the worst of people I don't like and maybe that's what I'm doing but I think this guy is being foolish and unreasonable no matter what. And frankly no matter what the outcome is, he's ruined the beginning of the season for us. This is supposed to be fun and instead I'm so mad I could spit.

I talked to S3 and now he's waffling over whether or not he wants to play for HP this year at all. It's not that he won't play baseball; he's signed up for a much more serious league that starts it's season later in the year. This was supposed to be his secondary league, the fun league, the league where he can hang out with his buddies from school and have fun. He's not only not with his buddies but he's playing on a team that (and this is going to be mean so take a big gasp of breath now before you read it) is going to lose because the roster is full of kids who either can't play or who have never played before at all. And he's my kid so he's also mad about the whole one stinkin' month conspiracy.

He's weighing that against the fact that he will be, hands down, the best player on that "A" team. He will absolutely get playing time and probably in any position he wants. Yes they're probably going to lose every single game but at least he'll be playing. It would keep him warmed up for his more serious team. Also he does feel bad for them that they've only got 10 kids if he backs out. And I'm trying to encourage him that he shouldn't step out of the program just because he's mad at the head of the league, although I'm having trouble with that one because I'm feeling like yanking him out for exactly that reason.

So anyway, he slept on it and he's going to talk to his buddies - you know, the guys on the "junior" team - and see what they think and I guess he'll make his decision later. He's a softie. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play anyway, even though he's mad.

Oh the drama.